1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed generally to computer game modifications. More particularly, the invention describes a system and method for allowing developers and/or retailers to develop and offer game modifications to consumers and for consumers to play, create and share game modifications through a network infrastructure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referred to as game modification, computer and video games have historically been modified to allow for different play of the stock game. For example, a computer game originally coded for play with World War II weaponry, could be changed, i.e., files added, in order to allow the user to utilize modern weaponry, e.g., M16 machine gun, in the World War II setting and situations.
Creating a game modification requires technical knowledge of the inner workings of the game being modified, and this skill has typically been beyond the skill of the ordinary user, e.g., consumers, who play such games.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method and system which allows the consumer, i.e., buyers and players of video games, to create (and thus become modifiers), use and share game modifications. Further, there is a need in the art for a game modification network, through which modifications may be developed, sold, and shared by modifiers, retailers, and users. Currently available multi-player on-line games, may be shared under a number of scenarios. The most common scenario is where each player purchases the game and the multiple users are able to play together on-line. There are many examples of such games including World of Warcraft played via the personal computer, Halo played via Microsoft's Xbox and Madden Football games played via Sony's PlayStation 2. In an alternative scenario, the game is initially offered for free to all users for a limited amount of time and then must be purchased by all players after expiration of the free trial period. Finally, there are games shared for free. The currently available business models for promoting and sharing multi-player games do not offer an effective solution for sharing additional content developed in accordance with embodiments of the invention described herein, while also generating revenue for the business that supports the underlying platform for dynamic content development.
In accordance with the embodiments described below, the nature of the content developed is extremely diverse. A developer or game player (hereafter “first user”) may select from thousands and thousands of items to add to an underlying game. And each time the first user dynamically changes an underlying game by adding, removing, changing content, the first user may wish to share this game modification with other users in a multi-player environment. Since new and different game modifications are constantly being developed, the problem becomes, how does the first user easily share the successive game modifications with other users without requiring every additional user to purchase each item of the game modification. The ability to share game modifications must be user friendly, e.g., relatively hassle-free, while also generating some profitability to the business supporting the game modification platform. The prior art solutions are not workable with the novel dynamic game development embodiments described herein.